ABILITIES Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

abilities

noun

plural of ability

as in capabilities

the physical or mental power to do something as a result of the accident the once-vigorous athlete lost the ability to walk

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of abilities Breen also emphasized that Heath, the film’s protagonist, is different from his other heroes, who tend to have superhuman abilities. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 The answer is, mostly, none of them, irrespective of their acting abilities. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026 Dementia is a gradual decline in thinking abilities and memory, and there are several types or causes of dementia. — Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 27 Aug. 2026 Tel-Rea, the Jedi character, is almost entirely melee-focused, but comes with her own entirely distinct skills and combat abilities, essentially requiring you to build your party around her. — Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Likewise, Dual Override has tried-and-true gameplay that isn't radically different from its predecessors, even with the introduction of the Double Gear and Override abilities. — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026 Featuring a vocal assist from Ricky Martin, the track highlighted the Puerto Rican singer’s songwriting abilities and emotional center, according to Díaz. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Everybody just comes to work every day and wants to compete, get better and do their job to the best of their abilities for whoever is to their left and right. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Combat emphasizes deliberate blade-on-blade action, parries, and Oni abilities, distinguishing it from Soulslikes. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abilities

Noun

Greenspan was renowned for his formidable data-crunching capabilities, sharp reading of market psychology, and subtle, often elusive communication style.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Its sensing capabilities can help detect changes in temperature, humidity, lighting, and aspects of the home environment.

— Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of capabilities

Noun

Other explanations understand the many heads and arms as expressions of the gods and their capacities displayed through the visual language of iconography.

— Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Both Slavin and Korte received approval to participate in their personal capacities in the CBS News interview, which was filmed at Stars and Stripes’ newsroom June 26 and aired July 5.

— BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of capacities

Noun

That kind of collective learning is especially important in the era of AI as distinctly human skills like attention span, curiosity, judgment, empathy and collaboration become more valuable, Kavanagh and Danielson argued.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
That means redesigning processes and workflows alongside the technology, investing in new skills and creating a culture where employees understand how AI can augment their work rather than simply automate it.

— Jill Standish, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of skills

Noun

Junior quarterback Aaron McCormack, who is the coach’s son and ran for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Justin Slaven, is among the teammates who quickly came to appreciate Harris’ talents.

— Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
Mystery Men Throw it back to the Y2K era with this 1999 comedy starring a plethora of the era’s brightest comedic talents, including Ben Stiller, Kel Mitchell, Janeane Garofolo, and Paul Reubens.

— Kara Nesvig, Parents, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of talents

Noun

Rather than focusing on the mom's faculties, the advisor asked how each family member viewed success across different time horizons.

— Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026
British universities have been working to hire more academics from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds so that their faculties better reflect the broader society.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of faculties

Noun

For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 6 May 2026
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.

— GRACIA LIU-FARRER, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2025

Definition of aptitudes

Noun

Gemma and Richard are composites drawn from our several decades of advising organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to smaller nonprofits on designing interview processes that assess leadership and interpersonal competencies.

— Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 24 Aug. 2026
Experts advocate for a radical redesign, urging boards to prioritize genuine governance competencies and continuous impact measurement, moving away from outdated models that hinder vital community services.

— Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of competencies

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abigails

abilities

ability

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“Abilities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abilities. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of abilities

noun

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